News from EPI › Alternative Census estimates of poverty show effectiveness of social safety net

In 2009, 14.3% of Americans lived below the U.S. Census Bureau’s official poverty line. Yesterday, the Census Bureau released alternative estimates of poverty that take into account more factors than the official poverty measure, such as government programs, increasing medical costs and regional cost-of-living variations. A new issue briefby EPI researchers Kathryn Anne Edwards and Elise Gould explains how the alternative measures demonstrate not only the inadequacy of using the official poverty threshold to measure deprivation, but also the effectiveness and importance of the social safety net.

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EPI is an independent, nonprofit think tank that researches the impact of economic trends and policies on working people in the United States. EPI’s research helps policymakers, opinion leaders, advocates, journalists, and the public understand the bread-and-butter issues affecting ordinary Americans.